I must confess that at some point I convinced myself that my captor –or ‘Verdi’- was a madman with no other intention than to ruin me for ever. Of course, that was a very unreasonable assumption. Then again, calling the situation ‘unreasonable’ would be an understatement. The tunnels had a way of provoking the worst possible scenarios out of me.

However, I later realised none of those scenarios were as bad as what was actually awaiting me.

It was a shock to stand in broad daylight again, with the sound of chatter of civil-looking families family’s reaching my ears. Some of them were just getting on small boats. Others walked by while carrying a parasol, while some common folk’s children were begging them for one of their pearl earrings.

In the distance, some larger trading ships were setting sail. While doing so, they were starting to get closer to another ship in the harbour, which stood at the end of a longer scaffolding, far from the rest of the ships. I gasped when it was on they were on the verge of hitting each other. But then, something really alarming happened. The sailing ship went right through the other one. I looked to my left, and was met by a grinning Verdi.

“I failed to mention that everything made at Bone Island, and every person form Bone Island, is not visible to those that have never heard a siren sing.”

“This is impossible,” I muttered, not comprehending what had just happened.

“I assure you miss, there was a time when I was of the same opinion.”

I looked at him disbelievingly. The one who knew all about the place I was now heading couldn’t possibly once have been as lost as I was now.

“You were not!”

“I most certainly was! And I would like to tell you all about it, but we must make haste now, for the ship will sail. With, or without us.”

Without another word he started to walk so fast I almost couldn’t keep up with him. His red cloak whirled in the wind, and even the finest looking gentleman glanced at him in wonder and vexation, for it was deemed improper to walk at such a speed.

When we reached the scaffolding I took notice of the turquoise and gold decorations on the pillars. The scaffolding itself was made out of fossilized wood.

The most prominent part of the dock, however, were the two solemn looking gentleman at the front of it. I could see swords sticking out underneath their cloaks. Underneath their clothes, they wore bronze armour, decorated with scales.

They barely looked at us, but nodded respectfully at Verdi before letting us through.

“Those are the guards. Most of them are actually at the island, making sure no one escapes.”

“No one escapes from what?”

I shivered. Verdi just shrugged.

“It depends. But if it makes you feel better, all guards were captives once.”

I nodded, trying to look grateful, which I wasn’t. I doubted I would get a future as a guard. And even if I would succeed in doing that, I wouldn’t be very happy about it. I also couldn’t help but wonder what the alternative was.

The ship at the end of the scaffolding was incredibly large. Starfish, octopuses, seals and even sharks ornamented it, making it look very grand. The sails were decorated with a picture of a feather crossed with a bone, and the front of the ship-which Verdi showed me proudly- carried a large sculpture of a beautiful woman, staring at the sea. Her hair was gold and wild, and her face contemplative. Her fingernails were incredibly long. Her legs were absent, and replaced by a fishtail. However, instead of scales, it was covered in feathers.

I stared, open-mouthed I’m afraid, at the beautiful sea creature.

“Is this what sirens look like?”

I had expected for them to look wild, ferocious.

“Yes, you seem surprised.”

“I hadn’t expected for them to look so beautiful.”

I looked at Verdi, surprised to find his expression as solemn as those of the guards.

“A beautiful appearance for a beautiful voice.”

Suddenly I heard the sound of quick, stout-hearted footstep.

“How long are you going to stand here?”

A small girl with dark skin and hair, stared sternly at us. Her arms were covered in white symbols. She was wearing something that shocked me greatly. Her stomach was completely exposed, and she wore wide pants. Her sudden smile, however, was so agreeable I forgot my astonishment about her scandalous appearance.

“Verdi, I hadn’t expected you for another hour. You are early.”

Her striking green eyes lit up when she saw my companion. She spoke with an accent I couldn’t recognise.

“Asni, always a pleasure.”

He took off his hat and kissed the back of her hand. She giggled. I frowned, I didn’t like it when young ladies giggled. Or so I told myself.

“You seem to have caught an expensive one. Most of the time that means they have more meat on their bones. This one, unfortunately doesn’t.”

She eyed me the way other girls my age did at a ball. It was a strangely familiar thing.

“Unfortunately, you do.”

Perhaps that was unfair of me to say, but Asni did have more meat on her bones than I did. She just frowned at me, and ignored my presence after that.

“What were you doing, standing outside like that? We are about to set sail.”

She looked at him teasingly, but glared at me when they started to make their way inside the ship. There were more armoured guards there, stationed in front of three entrances. Verdi winked at me and went straight through the large double doors in the middle. I wanted to follow him, but the guards immediately crossed their spears, without saying a word. Asni didn’t say anything either, however, she grabbed me firmly by the ear.

“You thought you were going with him? Think again. You listened to the siren’s song, and now you will pay the price.”

“But I couldn’t know it would bring me here!” I screeched, outraged at her behaviour towards me, while trying to free my ear from her grasp.

She slapped my wrist, I winced in pain.

“That doesn’t matter now. Everything you were –I can see that you were no commoner- doesn’t matter anymore.”

I held back my tears.

“Where are we going?”

She gestured towards the simple wooden door on the left. It didn’t look at all inviting.

“That it were the rest of the prisoners are.”

“Prisoners? I did nothing wrong!”

Asni sighed in mere annoyance, while I, trembling and fearing for my life tried to do everything in my power to not go through that door.

“Stop it!” Asni spat.

“Do you want me to alert the guards?”

I looked at the guards, who didn’t seem to be following the conversation. I knew very well this could be a mere façade.

“No,” I answered.

Feeling nothing but pure anguish, I stepped through the door, only to be met with the hold of the ship. Except it wasn’t filled with cargo, but with people. Some of them seemed to be even richer than my family, others as poor as could be. I began to understand that we were all equals from this point on. Although I did not yet want to believe it.

I was shocked to see a small child in rags, somehow sitting comfortably next to an old bearded man in silk. I had lived in a neighbourhood were people were doing quite well, yet I had never seen someone look so old.

“Shame they took you, miss, you are still so young,” the old man said to me.

“You could say the same about her,” I said, still shocked.

“I don’t think it will end so unfortunate for her. Surely they’ll spare a child. She is very thin, so for food she won’t do. But she may find other ways to make herself useful.”

I gulped.

“For food, sir?”

“Yes, miss. It’s quite understandable you haven’t heard. And I am sorry I told you. Alas, I should have kept my mouth shut. But you are familiar with the myth of the siren?”

“I am,” I said, while sitting down in one of the few empty spots on the ground, for fear of passing out. How could I have forgotten about that detail? Those monsters eat people! I thought of Verdi, and the mysterious gleam in his eyes, and how natural it had felt to follow him. How could he just leave me here? If not going to Bone Island meant my death, so did going there anyway!

I could tell my behaviour wasn’t exactly comforting to all the others in the hold.

“It is true miss. We are cursed. From now on, we are left to the sirens mercy, it they possesses mercy at all,” a woman of middle age said.

“We will all perish!” cried a voice in the distance.

“My family!”

In this desperation, my journey to the island of bones continued. As desperation spread, so did the stench of the hold. But unlike the smell of the hold, the desperation was still noticeable after it had rubbed itself off on me.

We were never let outside, and it was very shameful to be in the same company as these people. Especially at first. Although it was sometimes quite comforting to have a conversation with the old man. I later discovered his name was mister Twiggins.

It also felt only natural to get to know more about the little girl. I hoped to be able to help her when we were would arrive at the island, although I feared I might be to occupied by helping myself.

The hold was a dreadful place, but I knew it was mine, for now. Knowing this, together with the other people down there, created a bond. However, all that had happened felt like a nightmare I could still wake up from. Preferably soon. And when I did my chambermaid would be there with some hot milk and honey.

Feeling this, it didn’t seem at all surprising when Asni suddenly opened the door to the hold and begrudgingly requested my presence upstairs.